2 pressure tanks for well?

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

Hello:

I have converted an old barn into my home. Located on the 3rd floor is my master bath with shower and tub combined. I use an on demand water heater located on the wall near the shower-tub. Ever since I installed the instant heater I cannot get constant hot water in the shower? I called the instant heater company and they said I needed a constant 40 psi at the unit!

Now my house is on a well w/ pressure tank. The well is about 500-600 feet from the house and that is where the pressure tank is located. It has a 40/60 pressure switch.

I have an anti-hammer air gap tube located at the main water line located where the heater is with its own pressure gauge so I can monitor the water pressure. It fluctuates between a low of say 20 psi and 40 psi when I run the shower or the tub.

So does anyone have any ideas on how I can boost my water pressure at this heater and tub? Can I installl another pressure tank in my house where the line comes into the house? Or will that just mess up my well’s pressur switch?

Thanks,

JAG

[DwpecksrParticipant]

I know if it were city water you would have to put a pump and tank at the house. I wish i could say for sure if it would work with another pump. I would think it would if you had an 80 gal tank & pump in the barn and a 30 gal tank and pump at the house.

[waterwellParticipant]

To answer your 2nd and 3rd questions. yes you can install a tank and no it will not mess up the pressure switch/pump. It most likly will not solve your problem. You state that your pressure switch is set at 40-60 and that the pressure at the water heater is 20-40. It sounds like your water heater is 46 feet higher than the pressure tank and controls. It takes .43 pounds of pressure to raise water 1 foot. Your options if this is the case are to raise the pressure by 20 pounds or to add a booster pump at the house. Before increaseing the pressure you need to know a number of things.
1. pumping level of well
2. performance curve of pump
3. safe working pressure of tank
4. size of line from well to home (friction loss)
5. elevation from well/tank to house and all other uses
6. pressure relief valve setting at pressure tank

If any of these items are inadequate they would need to be addressed to decide how much pressure to add and rather that pressure would be safe. In addition increasing pressure needs to be performed along with the coorinsponding adjustment to the air pressure in the tank. A booster will work but you still need most of the above data to size it correctly.
Hope this helps

[Author]

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